 BILL GAITHER/The Register-MailA dreamy gaze is cast over Roxy as she delights in a belly rub from owner Debra Hart. Roxy is a 3 1/2 year old Puggle, which is a cross between a Pug and a Beagle. Designer dogs Hybrid canines - crosses between two purebreds - rising in popularity Sunday, June 3, 2007 If you take a pug and cross it with a beagle, some might say you get a mutt.But for the growing number of pet-lovers who pay top dollar for dogs that are crosses between two purebreds, you'd get a puggle. With cutesy names like labradoodle and price tags soaring over $2,000 for some varieties, the rising popularity of hybrid dogs is an example of a age-old phenomenon in a designer package. Many of the hybrids were around long before they were considered "designer dogs," said Judy Thorn, co-owner of Thorn's Pets and Supplies. Thorn sees a lot of hybrid dogs in the store with their owners, some of them more common than others - and some of them not intentionally bred to be part of a trend.
Falling for hybrids Debra Hart of Knoxville knew she wanted Roxy as soon as she laid eyes the pup, who was the runt of a litter for sale at a pet store in Peoria. At the time, she'd never heard of a puggle - but she was willing to pay $550 to bring Roxy home.
"Some puggles now sell for over $1,000," Hart said. While most people in the area didn't recognize Roxy as a puggle for the first couple years, now she gets attention for her designer status. "People are recognizing them more because they've seem them so often," Hart said. A year after bringing Roxy home, Hart fell for another hybrid at the same pet store. She shelled out another $550 to buy Peyton, a cavapoo, for her daughter. A Cavalier King Charles spaniel crossed with a poodle, the cavapoo looks like a poodle with long ears and is less popular than the puggle, although poodle mixes are the most prominent designer dogs.
Poodle-mix mania A poodle mixed with a Basset hound is a Bassetoodle and a poodle mixed with an American rat terrier is a rattle. Dozens of other half-poodle designer dogs, from the Shih-poo to the goldendoodle, are en vogue. Thorn said the majority of hybrids that come into her store are poodle mixes - and most of them quite small. "That, as much as anything, is a reflection of the population," Thorn said. "You have a lot of empty-nesters who want small dogs like the Yorkipoo." Others are attracted to poodle mixes because the dogs, and their names, are cute. Judy Taylor of Galesburg has an Affenpoo, which is half Affenpinscher. Her small, black dog named Sweetie-Pie isn't as high-profile as some of the other hybrids. "People have rarely heard of an Affenpinscher, so an Affenpoo is even more rare," said Taylor, who paid $475 for Sweetie-Pie two years ago. "I wanted a black fuzzy dog and that's exactly what she is. She has the most adorable face." Taylor said she sees more and more hybrid dogs in the area, including a co-worker's peagle, a cross between a Pekingese and a beagle. She described the phenomenon - and the high price tags - as a little bit crazy, considering what a hybrid dog is at face value. "I think it's absolutely awful to pay this kind of money for what's essentially a mutt. But she was just so cute," Taylor said. While the American Kennel Club does not recognize hybrid dogs, the American Canine Hybrid Club recognizes designer dogs with purebred ancestry. While there is debate in the dog world on whether hybrids should participate in fancy dog shows, a low-key local dog show welcomes hybrids. The first Eastminster Dog Show, sponsored by the Prairieland Animal Welfare Center in Galesburg, was held in April. "I entered Sweetie-Pie in the 'super mutt' category," Taylor said.
The best of the breeds Another reason why poodle-mixes are popular is the breed has qualities many pet owners are after, such as a dog that is hypo-allergenic and does not shed. "In the best cases, the dogs combine the best qualities of the breeds," Thorn said. Having worked in animals shelters, Thorn said she couldn't advocate spending thousands of dollars on a hybrid dog when there are already plenty available for adoption. But she does advise people who do want designer dogs to be careful where they buy them. "The dogs should be bought from a breeder that has an interest not so much in making money but in improving the breed," Thorn said. Some pet-owners say they like hybrid dogs because they don't have as many medical problems as purebred dogs, such as labradors, which are known for having hip displasia. "That's true to a certain extent," said Jen Gibbs, a veterinary technician at Galesburg Animal Hospital. "But with the purebred dogs you have a known set of dogs that have a particular set of problems, so you can catch them earlier. The mixed breed dogs can get just as sick and you don't always have a history of what you're looking for." Gibbs has seen more hybrid dogs locally in recent years. "People just want something different, something the neighbor doesn't have," Gibbs said. There's nothing wrong with hybrid dogs, or with paying top-dollar for them, Gibbs said, as long as people buy from reputable breeders and inspect both parents and the premises of the kennel. "Any responsible breeder will sell a puppy with a health guarantee," Gibbs said.
Cutesy Names for... Mutts? Affenpoo: Affenpinscher/poodle Bassetoodle: Basset hound/poodle Brat: American rat terrier/British rat terrier Cavapoo: Cavalier King Charles spaniel/poodle Corkie: cocker spaniel/Yorkie Doodleman Pinscher: Doberman/standard poodle Dorkie: dachshund/Yorkshire terrier Goberian: golden retriever/Siberian husky Miniature Schnoxie: daschund/miniature schnauzer Puggle: pug/neagle Rattle: American rat terrier/poodle Rottle: Rottweiler/poodle Saint Berdoodle: Saint Bernard/poodle Sheltidoodle: Sheltie/poodle Shih-Poo: Shih Tzu/poodle Toy Poxer: pug/toy fox terrier Yorkipoo: Yorkie/poodle
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